The literary value of “Bérénice” is undeniable; it was written by seventeenth-century playwright Jean Racine, considered by many to be the French Shakespeare. Although well-directed and well-performed, this production of the play could benefit from more visual cues that would make Racine’s classic accessible to non-Francophiles. Fortunately, the program does contain an English plot summary that non-French speakers would be well advised to read beforehand.

First performed in 1670, “Bérénice” is a tragedy that tells the story of a love triangle between Titus (Arden Rogow-Bales ’10), the emperor of Rome, Bérénice (Heather Stoller ’09), the title character and queen of Palestine, and Antiochus (Sylvia Bingham ’09), king of Comagène and rival for Bérénice’s love. Titus and Bérénice are deeply in love and it seems they will marry, so Antiochus decides to flee Rome rather than see this occur. However, the Roman people do not support Titus’ marriage with a foreign queen, and out of duty he chooses Rome and the empire over his love for Bérénice.

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Made possible by the Pierson Sudler Fund, this production of “Bérénice” is directed by Max Kahn ’09 and, impressively, is performed entirely in the original French. The only English is spoken at the very beginning when Kahn translates his opening announcements. While none of the actors are French, they all have prior experience speaking the language. The amount of experience varies from actor to actor, but in general their pronunciation is good and they make only occasional mistakes with delivery.

Although at times rather stiff, all of the actors give solid performances. Since the play is a tragedy, despair is one of the only emotions, but the actors portray it well. Stoller is a competent Bérénice. Rogow-Bales is great as Titus, effectively showing hopelessness and exasperation in his facial expressions and not forgetting details such as the movement of his arms and legs while delivering lines. The performances of Bingham as Antiochus and Thomas Murdoch Duncan ’10 as his confidant, Arsace, are good as well.

The set design of this production is simple but effective, consisting of a single wooden chair with a golden eagle and the letters “SPQR” (standing for “Senatus Populus Quae Romanus,” or “The Senate and the People of Rome”) attached to the seatback. The chair is used only once in the play, towards the end in a scene in which Bérénice falls into it in her despair. Kahn wisely avoids elaborate props and set pieces for a play that focuses on the characters’ personal monologues.

As for the costumes, Elizabeth Palazzolo ’11 opted for a more contemporary but formal wardrobe, with all of the male characters wearing modern suits and the female characters wearing evening gowns. Bingham, a female portraying a male character, wears a jacket and tie, as well. Titus and Bérénice loosen their restricting clothes in the course of the play as their hopelessness mounts. The spotlight even highlights the saliva coming out of his mouth as he utters his more emotionally packed lines.

The lighting is usually of a slightly yellowish hue, but brighter, whiter spotlights shine on actors to signify their important speeches, as when Titus explains his dilemma to Bérénice in the fourth act.

An unavoidable drawback of the production is that, by its very nature, it is somewhat of a niche performance. “Bérénice” is not as enjoyable or accessible to a non-French-speaking audience. A good command of French is necessary to fully appreciate the beauty of Racine’s language. Even with some French experience, the audience member may find Racine’s poetic language complex and antiquated. Coupled with some of the actors’ less-than-perfect pronunciation, the lines can be difficult to understand. This is unfortunate for a play that depends heavily on expository monologues. If incomprehensible, all of the talking becomes tedious — especially in a play that lasts two hours without intermission.

While “Bérénice” is not for everyone, enthusiasts of Racine and classical French literature, or simply those interested in French language and culture, are likely to profit the most from this production.